Check out our Spotify playlist.

We’ve made a Spotify playlist for you. It contains a bunch of more or less new electronica albums that we think you should check out.

Subscribe to Innotune Album Picks May 2010 at Spotify

The new version of Spotify with Facebook integration works quite nice. It’s easier to share your playlists and discover new music through your friends. If you’ve got Spotify, try our fresh playlist and share it with your homies.

At Innotune we feature a lot of single EDM releases through our podcast, but we also enjoy a couple of longplayers every now and then. This playlist gathers some of the most interesting albums of 2010 so far.

Massive Attack and Booka Shade recently released new albums. They are both in there. Orchestral breakbeat masters Hybrid are out with their fourth album Dissapear Here. It’s a neat piece of electronic music, so be sure to check it out.

Since we’re EDM Vikings and all, we had to include a couple of Scandinavian picks. Familjen is a brilliant Swedish act. The guy is out with his second album Mänskligheten, and it’s a great mix of 303s, electro beats, 80s synth stabs and no-way-understandable Swedish lyrics. The Danish compilation Sound of Copenhagen Vol. 4 is an album with fresh electronica from the capital of Denmark.

The Basement Jaxx released Scars last year, and later they gave out what was meant to be the second part of a double album. They decided to split the goods, and the follow up EP Zephyr was a reality. This is the nemesis to Scars. More chilled beats and almost no lyrics, but still as playful as a Jaxx release should be.

And last but not least, Groove Armada is out with Black Light, a darker and more rocked up album than their previous longplayers. The first single Paper Romance stands out as the peak.

Subscribe to Innotune Album Picks May 2010 at Spotify

Are we even listening to albums nowadays? A lot of you guys are probably just downloading the tracks you like, who doesn’t? But I still find satisfaction in putting on a good full-lengther which is both well composed and has good individual tracks.

I asked Innotune companion Håkon Lofthus if he had any good suggestions for this album sum up. He answered:

R.I.P. albums. When buying online – why would I want to buy an whole album, when I could only grab the tracks I like? (I can listen to them first as well) So, this year has been almost an album-free year for me, and iTunes better start pushing out those iTunes LP features to get me back on buying complete albums.

You have to agree. But I’m giving this list a shot anyway. I realise I haven’t heard enough releases this year to create the complete “top edm albums of 2009 bible”, but here’s nine I would like you to check out.

Maybe you’ll start buying albums again, or at least listen to complete releases on Spotify.

Jon Hopkins – Insides
Listen: Spotify link. YouTube.

I cannot recommend this bloke loud enough. Jon Hopkins has made beautiful ambient/downtempo albums before, but Insides is filled with even crazier (yet tightly produced) beats in addition to the unique Hopkins soundscapes. Simply a great collection of melodic electronica carefully put together. My favourite of 2009.

Gui Boratto – Take My Breath Away
Listen: YouTube.

Slow and addictive techno. The title fools you, this is not the breathtaker it want’s to be. In stead it is a breath of fresh air to all in favor of a deep but melodic listen.

Be sure to check it out if you fancy Underworld, or just a techno snack for that matter.

Air – Love 2
Listen: Spotify link. YouTube.

The French duo has done it again. Love 2 is nothing more than a typical Air album, but that works for me.

Fine downtempo electronic tracks produced with a lot of acoustic elements, and then lazy French-English vocals on top. Magnificent!

Marcus Schossow – Outside the box
Listen: YouTube.

An all nighter with the Schossow sound (you know: trance, progressive house and whatnot put in the blender). We don’t do shameless self promotion on the Innotune blog, but we simply cannot sum up 2009 without mentioning our own uncle Marcus.

His debut album is a real treat when it comes to the tunes. Collections of full length dance tracks often sound a bit dull as albums to me, but this beauty deserves it’s place among the top nine.

Röyksopp – Junior
Listen: Spotify link. YouTube.

Wonderchilds Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge produced another piece of Norwegian electronica Vikings like us can be proud of.

With a “back to the roots” attitude and vocal appearences by Robyn, Lykke Li and Karin Dreier, you can’t go wrong. A new collab with Erlend Øye (the voice of “Poor Leno”) is all that’s missing.

The Field – Yesterday and Today
Listen: YouTube.

A bit noisy, but still hypnotic experience.

Jazz, funk, noise and electronic downtempo put together. Axel Willner is breaking a lot of rules, and Yesterday and Today might not always be easy to listen to. Don’t worry though, it’s just enough beauty in there to keep you calm.

Basement Jaxx – Scars
Listen: Spotify link. YouTube.

In 2009 the Jaxx proved they are still in the game. Scars brings you psychedelic beats, jumpy basslines and that funky Jaxx feeling.

It was reviewed at Innotune earlier. Definetly worth a listen!

Fredrik Ohr – Falling through the earth
Listen: Album preview.

Downtempo electronica with enough details in the productions to keep you occupied for a while. Flutes, tight percussion and vocals obviously sung by a Swede makes a signature sound.

As recommended on this blog by Marcus, this is a great album produced by a skilled guy.

Major Lazer – Guns don’t kill people… Lazers do!
Listen: Spotify link. YouTube.

At last, the funny pick. This is reggea + electronica. Which makes a quite special listening experience if you’re up for something different.

I bet this album is refreshing after you have listened through the other eight.

Now tell me: Have you bought any albums this year? What releases would you add to this list?

Scars by the Basement Jaxx was released on September 21st.

New music from the Basement Jaxx is always good news. But is this album good enough to scar you for life?

It has been a decade since the Jaxx revolution. The two blokes from Brixton, London saved house music from boring beats throughout the nineties. Since their album debut and commercial breakthrough with “Remedy” in 1999 we’ve heard three albums, a few compilations and a number of EPs. Three years after “Crazy Itch Radio” they are back with “Scars”, their fifth long-player.

Even though it was their new approach on dance music that got the Jaxx their status as musical geniouses, I feel the albums has grown into a collection of pop tunes rather than floorfillers. But with that said: It’s still impossible to stand still when you experience the live act. The UK duo’s effect on dancefloors worldwide has been and is still impressive.

The crazy filled-out unique sound is still there. And just like before the music has to grow on you. But like with “Kish Kash” and “Crazy Itch Radio” the tracks on “Scars” are based on RnB and alternative just as much as house music.

Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton of the Basement Jaxx. Photography by Jamie Beeden.

A trademark has been the interludes and the excellent collaborators. The short breaks are gone, but the list of guest artists is as interesting as ever. Santigold, Kelis and Yoko Ono (!) are the highlights this time.

Well, earlier album references aside. Let’s have a look at the good tunes of “Scars” (Album Spotify link).

Their first single “Raindrops” (Spotify link) is a typical sing along Jaxx track. Quite nice. But “Feelings Gone” featuring Sam Sparro (Spotify link) is even better, with strings, heavy guitars and thin synth stabs topped with crazy drum breaks and Jaxx vocals everywhere.

There’s a few slow beauties as well: “Stay Close To Me” (Spotify link) with Lisa Kekaula on vocal, and the country flirt ballad “A possibility” (Spotify link) featuring Amp Fiddler. My definitive favourite though has to be the astounding “My turn” (Spotify link) with Lightspeed Champion. This track has got a crispy guitar lead and a killer bass line, tied together with a beautiful melancholic melody. I can’t wait to hear the remixes on this one!

“Twerk” (Spotify link) gets the award for being the funniest track, since Yo Majesty has borrowed lyrics from the synth pop classic “Maniac” by Michael Sembello which you might remember from the Flashdance score. Combined with a banghra refrain it can’t go wrong.

This album has more tracks than the other Jaxx full-lengthers. A positive thing at first, but now I have to admit it gets kind of boring in the end.

Conclusion time. This is another brilliant collection of psychedelic beats from Ratcliffe and Buxton. “Scars” has good individual tracks and a few potential dancefloor favourites, but maybe no anthems this time. I’ve got a feeling that this album is more similar to “Remedy” than their other shots. Back to the roots ten years later, you might say.

As always with the Jaxx the album gets more and more interesting for every listen. Addictive in a way. And that must be a good thing. Have a few listens yourself and see if it leaves any marks.

My score: 8/10